attending a funeral at a reform temple

January 27th, 2019

Question:

My mother’s funeral is tomorrow– at a reform temple. I am going, because of peace in the family. When we announce the shiva, may we announce the levaya as well, so my observant friends could come? I have no idea what my siblings have planed for the “ceremony”.

Answer:

It is problematic for us to go into a reform temple, because it is a place represents kefira. Therefore you shouldn’t tell your friends to come to the temple, but they can come to the service at the (Jewish) cemetery . Aside from this, as you write, you don’t even know what they are going to say tat the ceremony, and they may very possibly say things that are kefira. H-shem should help that by your friends not coming to the funeral, which in a way is sanctifying H-shem’s name, and by the fact that you are doing the will of H-shem, that it should be a merit for your mother’s neshoma.

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